[Star Tribune] It’s common to feel many emotions when faced with the prospect of children as victims, or perpetrators, of sexual violence: Horror. Grief. Anger. Shame. One emotion we rarely dare to feel is hope. But findings from a new, myth-busting study by the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MNCASA) give us hope in abundance for these children, their families and society. The project, funded by Raliance, a nonprofit that distributes funds from the National Football League, examined how Minnesota identifies and treats children with sexual behavior problems, as well…
Read MoreTag: Juveniles
The New Unconstitutionality of Juvenile Sex Offender Registration: Suspending the Presumption of Constitutionality for Laws that Burden Juvenile Offenders
In Smith v. Doe, the Supreme Court held that Alaska’s sex offender registration and notification statute did not constitute punishment and was therefore not susceptible to challenge under the Ex Post Facto Clause. In reaching that conclusion, the Court looked to the seven factors articulated in Kennedy v. Mendoza-Martinez. To evaluate those factors, the Court applied a presumption of constitutionality, conducting the sort of narrow factual inquiry characteristic of rational basis review. Since Smith, courts have disagreed as to whether sex offender laws are punitive when applied to juveniles, and the Supreme Court…
Read MoreOH: Petition started to romeve convicted sex-offender from Youngstown State football team
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – A student at Youngstown State University wants a football player who was found delinquent of rape removed from the football team. And she’s started a petition to make her wishes known. Full Article Petition
Read MoreEditorial, 8/5: Ruling gives justice to juvenile offenders
[journalstar.com] The blindfold seen on statues of Lady Justice worldwide represents how the judicial system must not be affected by outside influences. All who enter a courtroom must, too, be treated fairly. A Monday ruling by the 8th Circuit Court confirmed that justice must be blind to geographical boundaries and equitable to all juvenile Nebraskans, regardless of where they committed their offenses. By reaffirming that a teen should not be placed on the state’s sex offender registry because of a juvenile court ruling in his previous home state of Minnesota,…
Read MoreNE: 8th Circuit says Nebraska’s sex offender list doesn’t apply to boy
The 8th Circuit Court has ruled in favor of a 15-year-old boy whose family sued the Nebraska State Patrol to keep him from being put on the state’s sex offender registry for a juvenile case in Minnesota. Full Article
Read MoreNV: Nevada implementing law on juvenile sex offenders
Counties are implementing a new law dealing with juvenile sexual assault cases, the latest effort in the state to legislate such crimes after the passage of the federal Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. Full Article
Read MoreIA: Prosecutor agrees to settle Knoxville ‘sexting’ lawsuit
The Marion County Attorney’s Office has agreed not to bring a criminal charge against a teenage girl who sent photos of herself in her underwear to a classmate, settling a civil rights lawsuit alleging that prosecutors overstepped their bounds in trying to force her into community service and special classes. Full Article
Read MoreOne Strike and You’re Out: Is Redemption Possible for Luke Heimlich?
Luke Heimlich made this week after a missed registration deadline presented the Oregonian with an opportunity to revisit his past misdeed. Until his past was dredged up, Luke, a rising college baseball player, was slated to be a first day pick for the major league amateur draft. Predictably, there was immediate backlash with people crucifying Luke for his supposed duplicity and calling for more punishment. Then on Friday, Luke released a statement in which he excused himself from playing in the super regionals. The extremely harsh public reaction to Luke’s…
Read MoreWill More Kids Be Branded Sex Offenders for Life?
On May 22, 2017, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Federal Adam Walsh Reauthorization Act of 2017. The House’s judiciary subcommittee on crime, terrorism, homeland security and investigations worked to reauthorize the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, the only federal law that requires states, tribes and other jurisdictions to register children who have committed sexual offenses. Full Article
Read MoreATSA Position Statement re. HR 1761
The Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA) makes the following statement regarding the May 25, 2017, passage by the U.S. House of Representatives of HR 1761, the Protecting Against Child Exploitation Act of 2017: We applaud the intent of this bill to strengthen statutes prohibiting the production and distribution of child pornography. Child sexual abuse is a horrific crime that can cause long-term trauma and harm to those who are abused. Unfortunately, this bill, as passed, creates the unintended consequence of criminalizing all transmissions of sexual images of minors. This…
Read MoreIL: Supreme Court asked to review McLean County sex offender issue
The U.S. Supreme Court has been asked to review a case against a Normal man to determine the constitutionality of Illinois’ rules mandating that sex offenders report all their internet activity to authorities. Full Article
Read MoreHouse Overwhelmingly Supports Bill Subjecting Teen Sexters to 15-Years in Federal Prison
Teens who text each other explicit images could be subject to 15 years in federal prison under a new bill that just passed the House of Representatives. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), ranking member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, has called the measure “deadly and counterproductive.” Full Article
Read MoreToday’s scarlet letter — the sex offender registry — is risky justice for youth (Commentary)
It was heartbreaking to read recently about Naperville 16-year-old Corey Walgren, who committed suicide following being threatened with sex offender registration for allegedly audiotaping a consensual sexual encounter with a classmate. For those of us who regularly work with youth on the sex offender registry, it also highlighted a truth that we know too well: Placement on the registry is a modern scarlet letter that can lead our young clients to want to take their own lives. Full Commentary Related http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-naperville-north-suicide-lawsuit-20170524-story.html
Read MoreFL: Brandon middle school students facing felony child pornography charges
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Deputies put the cuffs on two boys and two girls on Friday. All four are facing various child pornography charges. Full Article Corporal Larry McKinnon explains a 12-year-old boy took video of a juvenile victim performing a sex act on him. That defendant then shared the video with a 14-year-old boy who posted it on Instagram. Two other 12-year-old girls also received the video and are also now facing charges.
Read MoreIL: School disciplinary incident ends with a Naperville teen’s suicide: ‘They scared him to death’
…The following day, Naperville police suspected that Corey — who had no criminal history and had never been in serious trouble at school — had video on his phone of a consensual sexual encounter with a 16-year-old classmate and possibly played it for friends. At lunchtime, he was called into the dean’s office. There, with a police officer and campus dean, Corey was questioned about possessing and possibly sharing “child pornography,” allegedly threatened that he’d be put on the state’s sex offender registry, then was left alone to wait for…
Read More14-Year-Old Boy Facing Assault Charge, Sex Offender Registry for Sex with 12-Year-Old Girl
A Houston-area seventh-grade boy has been charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child because he engaged in consensual sex with his sixth-grade girlfriend. Unless a judge decides to show leniency, he could be forced to register as a sex offender. Full Article
Read MoreSchools face vexing test: Which kids will sexually attack?
The children who sexually assault other children may be the popular jocks, the loners or anyone in between. There is no typical attacker, no way for schools to predict who might inflict that kind of torment on a classmate.Full Article
Read MoreWI: Bill Would Create Exemption for Wis. Sex Offender Registry
– A bipartisan proposal creates an exemption to Wisconsin’s sex offender registry for teenagers ages 15 to 18 who are convicted after having consensual sex. State law makes it a crime for two people under the age of 18 to have sexual contact, regardless of consent. Republican Rep. Joel Kleefisch and Democratic Rep. Fred Kessler have written legislation that creates a new crime of “underage sexual activity” and lowers the offense from a felony to a misdemeanor. Other states have labeled it the “Romeo and Juliet” exemption. Full Article
Read More